Weatherproof lantern.



C. E. DAVIS.

WEATHERPROOF LANTERN.

APPLICATION FILED APR.22.1916.

Patented Dec. 25,1917.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. DAVIS, OF NEW YORK,'1\T..Y., ASSIG-NOR TO THE DRESSEL RAILWAY LAMP WORKS, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

WEATHERPROOF LANTERN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 25, 1917.

7 Application filed April 22, 1916. Serial No. 92,805.

provements in WVeatherproof Lanterns, of

which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to improvements in lanterns, and the same has for its object to provide a lantern which is so constructed that no air, other than that necessary to support the flame, can enter' the same, whereby uneven burning or flickering of the flame is prevented.

A further object is to provide a lantern having a door slidingly mounted in guideways in which the sliding joint is so formed as to prevent the passage of air therethrough.

A further object is to provide a lantern having an opening therein with outwardyextending guideways adjacent the sides'of the opening, and having a door with outwardly-extending flanges slidingly engaging the guideways.

A. further object is to provide a lantern casing having an opening therein with guideways on either side thereof which guideways may be adjusted to space the same apart a predetermined distance before being secured to the casing, which distance depends upon the relative positions of the portions of the door engaging the guideways.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out hereinafter.

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends my invention consists in the novel details of construction, and in the combination, connection and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described and then pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings showing an illustrative embodiment of the invention Figure 1 is a front view of the lantern;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view showing the door in its raised position, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one ofthe guideway members. 7

Referring to the drawings the lantern casing comprises a top 10, a bottom 11, and a cylindrical body portion 12 secured to the top 10 and bottom 11, and provided with an opening 13 in its side extending throughout the height thereof and normally closed by a vertically sliding door 14: which may carry a lens 15. The door 11 is curved transversely to conform to the curvature of the body portion 12 and is provided at its vertical edges with outwardly projecting flanges 16 which preferably extend in a radial direction therefrom. The flanges l6 engage guideways 17 formed in members 18 secured to the edges of the body portion 12 at either side ofthe opening 13 as hereinafter described.

As clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the members 18, which are formed of sheet metal, are bentto form grooves 19 to rece ve the edges of the body portion 12 and are then bent outwardly and rearwardly to form the guideways 17 which receive the flanges 16 of the sliding door 14:. The guideways 17 extend outwardly from the cylindrical body portion 12 in a radial direction, and are slightly'offset in a direction away from the opening 13 with respect to the portions of the members 18 which form the grooves 19.

This construction provides 'a' wind and weatherproof joint between the flanges 16 of the door and the guideways 17 and prevents air from passing therethrough into the lantern casing.

' Adjacent the top and bottom of the opening 13 the lantern casing is provided with baflies 20 and 21 registering with the inner surface of the door 14 and serving to prevent which, when the door is closed, covers the joint between the upper end of the door and the lantern top 10 and also covers the upper ends of the guideways 17.

Secured to the inner surface of the door is adjacent its lower edge is a stop 23 adapted, when the door is raised, to engage the baflie 20 thereby limiting the upward movement of the door and preventing its withdrawal from the guideways 17. The stop 23 carries a vertically-e-Xtending member 24 whose lower end engages the innersurface of the baffle 21 when the door 14 is closed in order to prevent the door from rattling. WVhen the door is raised the upper end of the vertical member 24 engages the inner surfaces of the baffle 20 and the top 10 and serves as an additional means to limit the upward movement of the door 14.

The object of providing independent guideway members 18 and the manner of securing them to the body portion 12 will now be explained. It the guideways for the door are formed by bending the metal of the body portion it has been found, by experience, that, owing to variations in the thickness of the metal or to variations in the bending operation when the arts of the lantern are assembled the gui eways will not always be spaced from one another the proper distance to receive the flanges of the door and at the same time permit of the free sliding movement of the door. If the guideways are not so spaced from one another there will be a binding action between the flanges of the door and the guideways as a result of which free sliding movement of the door is prevented to a greater or less extent depending upon the degree of the binding action. I

This difficulty is overcome by providing the independent guidew'ay members 18 which, after the body portion 12 of the lantern is secured to the top 10 and bottom 11, are placed in position with the grooves 19 engaging the edges of the body portion 12 at either side of the opening 13. The members 18 are then moved to and fro. uponthe body portion 12 until the guideways 17 are so positioned that they will receive the flanges 16 of the door, or'of a templet, and permit the same to slide freely therein. While the members 18 are thus positioned upon the body portion 12 they are secured thereto by spot-welding or in any other suitable manner.

Suitable brackets 25 are secured to the lantern by means of which it may be mounted upon a support of any desired type.

In operation the air necessary to support the combustion will enter through the usual openings provided in the lantern casing for that purpose, but as no air can enter between the lantern casing and the door uneven burning or flickering of the flame is prevented thus insuring that the lantern will provide a clear and steady light.

Having thus described my said invention, whatI claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A lantern comprising a casing having an: opening .therein, guideway members formed independently of said casing and secured thereto at either side of said opening, each of said guideway members being provided with means to engage'the edge of said casing, and a door slidably engaging said guideway members, substantially as specified. o 1

2. A lantern comprising a casing having an opening therein,membersfixedly secured to said casing at either side of said opening, each of said members'having a groove toreceive an edge of said-casing and a guideway, and a, door slidingly mounted in said guideways, substantially as specified.

3. A lantern comprising a casing having an opening therein, members secured to said casing at either side of said opening, each of said members having agroove to receive an edge of said casing and an outward l'. extending guideway, and a door sliding y mounted in said guideways, substantially as specified. I

4. A lantern comprising. a casing having an opening therein, members secured to said casing at either side of said opening, each of said members having a groove to receive an edge of said casing and a radially extending guideway, and a door slidingly mounted in said guideways, substantially as specified.

5. A lantern comprising a casing having an opening therein, members secured to said casing at either side of said opening, each of "said members being bent to form a groove to receive an edge of-said casing and being bent outwardly and then rearwardly to form a guideway, and a door slidingly mounted in said guideways, substantiallyas specified.

6. The herein described method which consists in securing the body portion of alantern casing to the top and bottom thereof with its'edgesfspaced apart to form an opening, positioning guideway-memb'ers upon the edges of the body portion and adjusting the same relatively to the body portion until the guideways are spaced from one another a .predetermined distance, and then securing the guideway members to the body portion while in their adjusted positions, substantially as specified. j p

7 The herein described method which consists in forming the body portion of a lantern by bending a sheet of metal into cylindrical form with its edges spaced apart to provide an opening, then securing the top and bottom of the lantern 'to' the formed body portion, then positioning guidewaymembers upon the spaced edges of the opening in the body portion and adjusting the same relatively to the body portion until the guideways are spaced from one another a predetermined distance, and then securing the guideway members to the body portion while in their adjusted positions, substantially as specified.

8. The herein described method which consists in forming the body portion of a lantern by bending a sheet of metal into oylindrical form with its edges spaced apart to provide an opening, then securing the top and bottom of the lantern to the formed body portion, forming grooved guideway members, positioning the guideway members upon the body portion with the grooves of the guideway members receiving the spaced edges thereof, adjusting the guideway members relatively to the body portion until the guideways are spaced from one another a predetermined distance, and then securing the guideway members to the body portion while in their adjusted positions, substantially as specified.

9. The herein described method which consists in forming the body portion of a lantern by bending a sheet of metal into cy lindrical form withits edges spaced apart to provide an opening, then securing the top and bottom of the lantern to the formed body portion, bending strips of metal to form guideways and grooves, positioning the bent strips upon the body portion with the grooves receiving the spaced edges thereof, adjusting the bent strips relatively to the body portion until the guideways are spaced from one another a predetermined distance, and then securing the bent strips to the body portion while in their adjusted positions, substantially as specified.

Signed at the city of New York, in the county and State of New York, this 22d day of March, one thousand nine hundred and sixteen.

CHARLES E. DAVIS.

Witnesses:

CONRAD A. DIETERIOH, LOUIS B. HASBROUCK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

